Name: John Roger Fowler

Date of Birth, Hometown: March 4, 1941, Rugby, England, came to Canada aged 7

High School: MacKenzie High School, Deep River, Ontario

College: Queens University, Kingston, Ontario. B. Sc. Civil Engineering, 1965

Family: Wife Rose and children Lisa, Michael and Laura

Hobbies: Jazz Musician Photography - see website www.jazzphotoguy.com

First position in Concrete Industry: Wilson Concrete Products, Belleville, Ontario, 1965

Some other companies of employment over the years: ABC Structural Concrete, Stanley Structures - Brampton, Belleville, San Antonio, TX

Most significant mentor early in career: Don Paton, GM ABC Structural Concrete

Greatest project: Kingston Road Bridges, Scarborough, Ontario

Toughest project: Holiday Inn, Austin, Texas

Most significant improvement to precast in the past 20 years: This is a difficult question to answer. Architectural precast concrete has improved tremendously with new techniques and form materials being implemented to meet the creative demands of architects. The development of sandwich panel technology for both composite and non-composite designs has lead to tremendous growth and market share. High performance concretes have increased the workability and durability of our products and systems. Precast parking garage framing systems have made significant advances. Spliced girder bridges are a most significant advance. Post-tensioning girder segments together has allowed plant precast to successfully compete to spans of 70 m and beyond.

Upcoming challenges for the Industry: The precast industry must continue to innovate and seek new markets to grow and prosper. Information technology will radically change how buildings and infrastructure are constructed. We have a great opportunity to gain competitive advantages by being a leader in construction IT.

Advice to Future Industry Icons: This is a great industry to work in. The people in this industry are open and work together. There is a lot to learn about architectural and structural precast concrete. Don't be afraid to advocate new ideas and techniques. This industry has a history of creativity and innovation.